ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
MRP Provisions for Products Sold Loose
Under the Legal Metrology  Rules, 2011 certain declarations are to be made on all pre-packaged commodities in the interest of consumers like name and address of the manufacturer/ packer/ importer, country of origin, name of the commodity, net quantity, month and year of manufacturing, retail sale price in the form of Maximum Retail Price  Rs…..  and consumer care details etc.
Under rule 9  and under rule 9 proviso  of the said rules provision is already existing so that declarations made are legible.
Advisory for making some declarations including MRP was issued for loose garments.
In respect of loose articles the Hon’ble High Court of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in the W P No. 27029 of 2018 directed to the Association of Multiplex Cinema Operators in India formed under the aegis of FICCI to display prominently at the points of sale of the non- packaged commodities, on the menu board, the price per standard unit of weights or measures or numerals or multiples thereof.
The direction of the Hon’ble High Court was circulated to the Controller of Legal Metrology of all States/ UTs for compliance.
This information was given in a written reply by the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Shri. Danve Raosaheb Dadarao in Rajya Sabha today.
AYUSH
Revival of Ayurvedic medicines
Ayurvedic system of medicine is an existing ancient traditional system of medicine of India. Its role has significantly been boosted with the establishment of Ministry of Ayush, which has resulted into focused growth of the sector in terms of medical education, practice, manufacturing, research and International cooperation. The significance and usage of Ayurvedic medicines has been further noticed during the wake of Covid -19.
Separate data of earning from selling Ayurvedic medicines is not available. However, as per records the total Ayush and herbal medicines export of India has been of US$ 1.54 billion in the year 2020. .
In domestic market Indian Medicines Pharmaceutical Corporation Limited , a Government of India Enterprises under Ministry of Ayush has reported sale of Ayurvedic &Unani Medicines of about Rs. 164.02 Crore during the year 2020-21.
Under the provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules made thereunder, it is mandatory for the manufacturer of Ayurvedic drugs to comply with the prescribed Good Manufacturing Practices  and quality standards of drugs given in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia for obtaininglicence from the concerned State Licensing Authority . The SLA grants the licence after verification of the required infrastructural facilities, equipment / machinery, manpower of the manufacturing unit through inspection conducted by the inspector.
Further, the following steps are being taken to ensure safety and quality of Ayurvedic medicines by the State Government Officers empowered under Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules there under:
 Survey samples, legal samples and market samples are drawn regularly and sent to Government Drug Testing Laboratory to ascertain the quality of medicine.
 Investigation of the complaints related to quality of Drugs.
 Launch of prosecution in case of violation of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules thereunder.
There is one central appellate laboratory of Pharmacopoiea Commission of Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy , Ghaziabad for testing of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy  drugs. Apart from this 35 State Drug Testing Laboratories for testing of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy  drugs are funded by the Ministry of Ayush through its schemes. Also, 67 Private Drug Testing Laboratories have been approved for testing of Ayushdrugs under Drugs & Cosmetics Rules 1945 as on 1st April, 2021.
This information was given by Minister of Ayush Shri Sarbananda Sonowal in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Defence
World Kidney Day
World Kidney day was celebrated at AHRR, Dhaula Kaun, New Delhi, on 13th March 2019. The events at the function ranged from “Walkathon” by kidney transplant patients, motivational talks, plays, and musical show, highlighting various aspects of the life of a kidney disease patient and the positive difference a kidney transplant can make in his life.
The function was inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Lt Gen Manomoy Ganguly, Director General Medical Services .
About twenty families of the deceased organ donors were felicitated by the dignitaries to appreciate and acknowledge their noble gesture, which gave a ray of hope to a number of terminally ill patients.
Lt Col Mohit Vaishnava
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Ministry of Defence
Anti Hijacking Exercise conducted by Southern Naval Command
The Indian Navy, in collaboration with Indian Coast Guard, Cochin Port Trust and all other concerned stake holders, conducted a large scale Anti Hijacking Exercise off the Port of Kochi on 18 Dec 19. This was the first time that such a large scale exercise involving all stake holders has been conducted in Kerala. The Exercise code named “Apharan” saw participation of multiple agencies, including more than 12 ships and helicopters of the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and Cochin Port Trust. As part of the scenario, interdiction of a ‘rogue’ vessel outside Kochi port and insertion of Marine Commandos onto the rogue/hijacked vessel through boarding operations, as well as slithering down onto its deck from a Sea King helicopter, were exercised.
The Exercise ‘Apharan’ was aimed at streamlining the response mechanism/ preparedness to thwart any attempt by Anti-National Elements to hijack a merchant vessel or attempt forced entry of a rogue/commandeered merchant vessel into Kochi harbour. Within the ambit of Coastal Security architecture, hijacking of a merchant vessel is one of the challenging scenarios, response to which requires synergy of resources, assets and efforts of all stake holders including the State Govt.
The exercise was conducted under the aegis of the Commander-in-Chief, Coastal Defence , Kerala. The exercise provided an opportunity to all stakeholders to assess the preparedness of their respective organisations, identify gaps to address them on priority as well as to formulate an integrated Crisis Management Plan for Kochi Port.
Prime Minister's Office
India-Netherlands Virtual Summit 
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will hold a Virtual Summit with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte on 9 April 2021.
The forthcoming Summit follows the recent victory of Prime Minister Rutte in the parliamentary elections and will sustain the momentum in the bilateral relationship provided by regular high-level interactions. During the Summit, the two leaders will discuss in detail our bilateral cooperation and look at new ways of strengthening the relationship. They will also exchange views on the regional and global issues of mutual interest.
India and the Netherlands share cordial and friendly relations underpinned by shared values of democracy, rule of law and freedom. Netherlands is home to the largest Indian diaspora in continental Europe. Both countries have wide ranging cooperation including in areas of water management, agriculture and food processing, healthcare, smart cities and urban mobility, science & technology, renewable energy and space. The two countries also share a robust economic partnership with the Netherlands being the third largest investor in India. There are over 200 Dutch companies present in India with a similar presence of Indian businesses in the Netherlands.
Department of Space
Young Scientist Programme  – Online Registration
The Indian Space Research Organisation  has launched a special programme for School Children called “Young Scientist Programme” “YUva VIgyani KAryakram”  from this year. The Program is primarily aimed at imparting basic knowledge on Space Technology, Space Science and Space Applications to the younger ones with the intent of arousing their interest in the emerging areas of Space activities. ISRO has chalked out this programme to “Catch them young”. The residential training programme will be of around two weeks duration during summer holidays and it is proposed to select 3 students each from each State/ Union Territory to participate in this programme covering state, CBSE, and ICSE syllabus. Those who have just finished 9th standard  and waiting to join 10th standard  will be eligible for the programme. The selection will be based on the 8th Std marks. A few seats are left for the programme from various states. The interested students can register online from 25th March 2019  to 03rd April 2019 . The selection is based on the academic performance and extracurricular activities. Students belonging to the rural area have been given special weightage in the selection criteria. The list of the provisionally selected candidates from each state will be announced on 06th April 2019. The provisionally selected candidates will be requested to send the supporting documents through E-mail to ISRO. This Email ID will be intimated to selected candidates. After verifying the relevant certificates the final list will be published on 13th April 2019. The progamme is planned at 4 centres of ISRO during the second half of May 2019. For more information log on to www.isro.gov.in
The following is the link for Registration: https://yuvika.isro.gov.in/yuvika/
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
PM Gati Shakti National Masterplan to help achieve India’s aim of USD 5 Trillion economy, says Shri Som Parkash
Shri Som Parkash, Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, today said the PM Gati Shakti National Masterplan will help achieve India’s aim of USD 5 Trillion economy.
Addressing the Industry Stakeholders at the INDIA INTERNATIONAL LOGISTICS & SUPPLY CHAIN Conference, organised by PHDCCI, Shri Som Parkash, said India is one of the most attractive destinations for investment in the world and government has prepared some important frameworks to help thrive businesses in the country. One of them is PM Gati Shakti masterplan and its implementation, which will help us to achieve our aim in logistic efficiency.
An infrastructure master plan will make a difference through integrated approach by breaking the entrenched silos over six years, which has received Rs 20,000 crore allocation in this year’s Budget. Propelled by seven engines – roads, railways, airports, ports, mass transport, waterways and logistics – PM Gati Shakti is an idea whose time has come, added the Minister.
The Minister appreciated PHDCCI for being the forerunner in having a specalised forum for Gati Shakti, the contribution for which will go long way in alligning the objectives with the PM's Vision of being a globally leading economy.
To help make this plan success, the Minister urged all industry stakeholders to work in this direction collectively to achieve its significant results.
Shri Amrit Lal Meena, Special Secretary – Logistics, Dept of Commerce & Industry, Govt of India, said that a lot work is being done in this direction, mainly on component cost of transportation & fuel and inventory cost to bring in logistic efficiency. Time and cost overruns are major factors of concern in the implementation of the plan. Steps are being taken to bring them down to zero level. In PM GatiShakti master plan, 600 layers of all different ministries of state governments are integrated on digital platform for better coordination and early resolution. Gaps are identified and taken up on priority basis regarding transportation to eliminate unnecessary congestion, said Shri Amrit Lal Meena.
Shri Pradeep Multani, President, PHDCCI , mentioned that the Indian logistics sector is on a big growth tide. According to the domestic rating agency ICRA, India's logistics sector is expected to grow at a rate 8-10 per cent over the medium term. This is an improvement over the compound annual growth rate  of 7.8 per cent at which the industry grew during the last five years. Going forward, the government’s focus is to bring down the cost of logistics from the present 14.4 per cent. The development of the logistics sector is also extremely important for the Indian economy, as it will boost exports, create jobs, and give the country a prominent position in the global supply chain, said Shri Multani.
Ministry of Culture
A high-level National Committee headed by Prime Minister constituted to commemorate 75 years of India’s Independence
In his Independence Day speech of 15 August, 2017, the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi had said:
“If each one of us, irrespective of where he belongs to, strives with a new resolve, a new energy, a new strength, we can change the face of the country with our combined strength in the 75th year of our independence in 2022. It will be the New India – a secure, prosperous and strong nation. A New India where there is equal opportunity for all; where modern science and technology play an important role in bringing glory for the nation in the global arena.”
Taking inspiration from the words of Hon’ble Prime Minister, Government of India has taken a decision to commemorate 75 years of India’s Independence which falls on 15th August 2022 in a befitting manner at national and international level in the form of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. A National Implementation Committee under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Home Minister had earlier been constituted for the commemoration, to guide the policies and programs to be undertaken by various Ministries of Government of India under the India 75 commemoration. A Committee of Secretaries has also been set up for this purpose.
The Government has now constituted a National Committee under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India with 259 Members, for which a Gazette Notification has been issued today.
The National Committee includes dignitaries and eminent citizens from all walks of life. The Committee will provide policy direction and guidelines for formulation of programs for the commemoration of 75th anniversary of Indian Independence, at the national and international levels.
The celebrations are proposed to be launched 75 weeks prior to 15th August 2022 i.e. on 12 March, 2021, which is the 91st anniversary of the historic Salt Satyagraha led by Mahatma Gandhi. In order to discuss modalities relating to preparatory activities under the commemoration beginning from 12th March 2021, with the members of High Level Committee, it has been decided to convene the first meeting of the Committee on 8th March 2021.
Click here for gazette notification.
Ministry of Finance
“Education will be treated holistically from pre-nursery to class XII”, says Finance Minister
Rs. 1, 00, 000 Crore initiative to drive research and infrastructure over the next four years
Expressing concern over the quality of education, Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley has said that education will be treated in a holistic manner from pre-nursery to Class XII. Presenting the General Budget 2018-19 in Parliament here today, the Finance Minister expressed the Government’s resolve to increase the digital intensity in education. “The Government proposes to gradually move away from ‘‘black board’’ to ‘‘digital board,’’ he said. The Finance Minister underlined that a district-wise strategy for improving the quality of education is also being prepared. Emphasising the need to step up investment in research and related infrastructure in leading educational institutions, the Finance Minister announced the proposal to launch a major initiative named “Revitalising Infrastructure and Systems in Education ”. Shri Jaitley said that over the next four years, a total of Rs. 1, 00, 000 crore will be invested in the initiative.
Referring to higher education, Shri Jaitley announced the launch of ‘‘Prime Minister’s Research Fellows ’’ Scheme. He pointed out that 1,000 best B.Tech students will be identified from premier institutions each year and facilities will be provided to them to undertake Ph.D in IITs and IISc with an attractive fellowship. Acknowledging the critical nature of the training of teachers during service, the Finance Minister also referred to the move to initiate an integrated B.Ed. programme for teachers.
The Finance Minister pointed to the need for best quality education to the tribal children in their own environment. “To realise this mission, it has been decided that by the year 2022, every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons, will have an Ekalavya Model Residential School”, Shri Jaitley said. He emphasised that Ekalavya schools will be treated at par with Navodaya Vidyalayas and will have special facilities for preserving local art and culture, besides providing training in sports and skill development.
Referring to the initiative of setting up Institutes of Eminence, Shri Jaitley said that more than 100 applications have been received. “We have also taken steps to set up a specialized Railways University at Vadodara”, the Finance Minister said. He added that 18 new Schools of Planning & Architecture  will also be established in IITs and NITs as autonomous schools.
Stressing the need to reach out to every household of old, widows, orphaned children, divyaang and deprived as defined by the Socio-Economic Caste Census, the Finance Minister enumerated the implementation of a comprehensive social security and protection programme. He announced that a sum of Rs.9, 975 crore has been allocated for the National Social Assistance Programme this year.
AYUSH
Prime Minister announces "My Life My Yoga" Video Blogging contest in Mann Ki Baat
Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India today called upon one and all to participate in the “My Life – My Yoga” Video Blogging Contest, a joint effort by the Ministry of AYUSH and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations , during the course of his monthly Mann Ki Baat address to the nation. The contest focuses on the transformative impact of Yoga on the lives of individuals, and comes as one of the activities related to the observation of the sixth International Day of Yoga  coming up on 21st June 2020. The contest has gone live on the social media handles of the Ministry of AYUSH today, 31 May 2020.
The observation of IDY in the past years has been marked by thousands of harmonious mass demonstrations of Yoga in public places. Due to the contagious nature of COVID-19, no mass gathering would be advisable this year. Hence, this year the Ministry is encouraging the people to practice Yoga at their homes, with participation from the entire family. Through the My Life – My Yoga video blogging competition, the Ministry of AYUSH and ICCR seek to raise awareness about Yoga and to inspire people to prepare for and become active participants in the observation of IDY 2020. The contest will support participation via the social media platforms of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Video contest will be open to participants from all countries.
The contest will run in two legs. First leg consisting of an international video blogging contest, wherein the winners will be picked within a country. This will be followed by global prize winners who will be selected from winners from different countries.
Entries can be submitted by participants under three categories covering youth , adults  and yoga professionals, and further, separately for male and female contestants. This makes it a total of six categories in all. For the India contestants, prizes worth Rs. 1 lakh, 50K and 25K for 1st, 2nd and 3rd ranking within each of the categories have been announced within the first leg. Details of the global prizes will be announced shortly on the Yoga Portal of Ministry of AYUSH.
This contest is open to all participants across the world. To enter into the contest the participants are required to upload a 3 minutes duration video of 3 Yogic practices , including a short video message/ description on how the said Yogic practices influenced their life. The video may be uploaded on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the contest hashtag #MyLifeMyYogaINDIA and appropriate category hashtag. Detailed guidelines for participation can be found on the Yoga Portal of Ministry of AYUSH.
The announcement of the contest by PM has generated tremendous curiosity about and interest in it. The Ministry of AYUSH is confident that this interest would convert into significant public health gains, as the positive impact of Yoga in the management of many aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic situation is by now well accepted.
Ministry of Defence
SIMBEX-18 kicks off at port Blair
There are only a few militaries that can boast of continuity and cooperation in the field of maritime combat drills like the navies of India and Singapore and that too sustained for 25 years. When the frontline ships of the Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy and those of the Republic of Singapore Navy  made their entry into the azure waters of Port Blair in the pristine Andaman and Nicobar Islands on 10 November 2018, it was a treat for the on lookers. The ships arrived at Port Blair for the commencement of the 25th edition of the SIMBEX - Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise. Started as Basic ASW exercises in 1994, today these exercises have graduated to complex maritime combat drills including missile and torpedo firings and shore based intensive professional exchanges.
Home to India’s only Tri-Services Command, the crew of the participating warships and the Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft and integral helicopters, would go through the last minute exercise coordination details with a fine comb at Port Blair. During the harbour phase, in addition to operational conferences towards preparation of the sea phase of the exercises in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal, courtesy calls by both sides on the Senior Officers are also scheduled.
In addition, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges or SMEE as they are commonly known by militaries worldwide are also scheduled. The SMEEs, have over the years provided a platform to formally exchange best practices of respective navies so that learning and improvement never ceases. Cross deck visits by air crew towards deck familiarisation are also planned.
Over the next two days, Port Blair is playing host to Indian Naval Ships Ranvijay, Satpura, Sahyadri, Shakti, Kirch, Kadmatt, Sumedha and Sukanya along with the RSN Ships, Formidable, Steadfast, Unity, Valiant and Vigour. Maritime Patrol Aircraft of both countries – the versatile P8I of the Indian Navy and Fokker F50 from Singapore would also be based out of Port Blair. Local Flotilla ships based at Port Blair would be ensuring seafront security including in the exercise areas towards smooth conduct of the exercise.
Also participating in the exercises are RSS Swordsman, an Archer Class submarine and Swift Rescue, a Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle . While the Indian Navy recently inducted a DSRV on the western seaboard and is slated to induct another on its eastern seaboard, it continues to exercise with various navies and assimilate best practices as well as enhance interoperability.
The exercises at sea this year are unprecedented and largest of kind in terms of the complexity and weapon firings. The sea phase would be held under Commander Task Group of Joint Forces of SIMBEX-18, Rear Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet. Senior Lieutenant Colonel Ho Jee Kien, Commanding Officer of 188 Missile Corvette Squadron would be leading the Republic of Singapore Navy during the first sea phase and would also be the Deputy Task Group Commander.
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